Paths to Success
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2022 Annual DEI Report
2 Table of Content s 03 Paths to Success 07 Our Four Pillars 22 Education 04 Our Firmwide DEI Vision 08 C ommunit y 26 Engagement 06 Our Firm Diversity Statistics 15 G row th 34 Recognition
At Davis Wright Tremaine, our vision is to foster a culture where all talented individuals – including those who are from traditionally underrepresented communities in the legal profession – can have, and can see, paths to success.
To achieve this vision, we must embrace change. And at DWT, we do. We are open to trying and failing. We are open to taking chances. We are open to giving things a shot. And we do so with the best of intentions. We do so because we really care and want the best for our colleagues, for our firm, and for our clients.
It is this sentiment that allowed us to launch our initial 2021–22 DEI@DWT Strategic Plan, in the middle of a pandemic and in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. We are proud of the work that we have done in 2022, thanks to our colleagues, clients, and community. We are excited to share some of our work with you in this report. 2023 presents a turning point for our efforts. This year, we will launch a new strategic plan to guide our efforts for the years ahead. As we close the year and look towards the future, we are proud and excited about the change that we will continue to embrace.
Scott W. MacCormack Yusuf Z. Zakir
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Firmwide Managing Partner Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
Our Firmwide DEI Vision
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Camilo Echavarria, Partner, Los Angeles Partner-in-Charge, Executive Committee Vice Chair, Diversity Executive Council
Member | Los Angeles
Our Firmwide DEI Vision
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Wendy Kearns, Partner, Executive Committee Member, TCPS Practice Group Co-Chair, Diversity Executive Council Member | Seattle
Our Firm Diversity Statistics
*diverse includes women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, veterans, and attorneys with disabilities
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67% Executive Committee Members 58% Practice Group Chairs 40% Par tners -in - Charge 73% Attorney Evaluation Committee Members 61% 2022 Partnership Promotions
Our Four Pillars
COMMUNITY GROWTH EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT
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Brian Nixon, a partner in our Washington, D.C., office, describes how clients are helping drive change in the legal industry and how he brings a diverse bench to pitches and proposals.
As Serious About This Issue as Our Clients
Somebody Has to Be an Advocate
Monica Davis talks about how the firm’s employee resource group for women staff, DWShe, which she chairs, fosters an environment of advancement, inclusion, understanding, and support.
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EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS
The Choices We Make Matter
For the past two years, Davis Wright’s onboarding and integration manager, Chris Boccuzzo, has been co-chair of DWT PRIDE, the firm’s employee resource group for LGBTQ+ staff and allies. He describes how the firm has recognized the group’s value and importance.
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An Opportunity to Shine
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Lionel Abdool, financial data analyst and former chair of DWT PRIDE, talks about how DEI culture makes him feel valued as a person, not just an employee.
A Seat at the Table
John LeCrone, Los Angeles partner and co-chair of the firm’s LGBTQ+ affinity group, talks about the ways the group serves to enhance the support that Davis Wright provides its lawyers.
Share Our Stories
Chip English, Washington, D.C., partner-in-charge and co-chair of the LGBTQ+ affinity group, describes the benefits of the group and how the D.C. office has evolved on DEI.
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LGBTQ+AOC Retreat in Chicago
Our LGBTQ+ and Attorneys of Color (AOC) Affinity Groups convened in Chicago in September for our first-ever stand-alone retreat. Approximately 130 people were in attendance from across the firm.
We renewed old connections and forged new ones. We discussed navigating success while maintaining our identities, brainstormed on building our personal and professional brands, received updates from our firm’s chief officers, and in a session hosted by Rudhir Krishtel, worked on community-building through goal setting.
With this retreat that sits within our Community pillar, we worked to renew our sense of belonging.
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A Culture of Acceptance
Jaime Drozd, a member of the firm’s executive committee and co-chair of the firm’s litigation department, recounts how the litigation team has become significantly more diverse and how that benefits clients and the firm.
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It’s Not Performative
Michael Nguyen, director of attorney talent acquisition, reflects on the importance of a valuesdriven hiring process.
Their Own Authentic Voice
Martinelle Stevenson, director of professional development & training, describes the importance of cultivating a diversity of views.
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Reflecting the Community at Large
Vid
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Prabhakaran, co-chair of DWT’s energy team and co-chair of the firm’s Asian Pacific American affinity group, explains the value to his practice of a diverse community of lawyers.
Everett Jack, Jr., a partner in our Portland office, describes how the firm’s sponsorship program helps attorneys build distinctive practices and elevate their careers. Not Just One Size Fits All
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We Need to Lift as We Climb
Davis Wright’s director of practice management, Tanea Foglia, explains the importance of the firm’s Tech Equity Hub, which she leads and which helps accelerate Black and Latinx women entrepreneurs.
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Making Sure Nobody Falls Through the Cracks
Ruben Pagán, a partner in the firm’s Technology, Communications, Privacy, and Security practice (TCPS) and chair of the group’s DEI committee, discusses how his family history impacts his commitment to improving DEI in the legal profession.
You Have to Clean Up Your Own
House to Be a Good Citizen
As former chair of the firm’s share committee, which determines equity partner compensation, Seattle partner Cindy Caditz says partners at Davis Wright are evaluated not just on their billable work but on their contribution to the firm community, including DEI.
Empathy for Who You Are
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Joanna Boisen, chief pro bono and social impact officer, and a first-generation college graduate, discusses her partnership with Davis Wright’s DEI team and her own connection with DEI programming.
Part of Every Conversation
Tiffani Lambie, director of DEI operations, describes how the firm works to ensure that DEI is always at the table so that everyone feels recognized, valued, and can see a pathway to success.
A Tone From the Top
Autumn Hunter, associate general counsel and managing director for public policy and political law at Bank of America, explains how leadership makes the difference with DEI and how the bank is partnering with firms like Davis Wright to make incremental but significant change in the legal industry.
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Driven By Values
Rudy Brioché, vice-president and policy counsel at Comcast Corp., explains how DEI helps ensure we have the best team on the playing field and how Davis Wright is supporting that effort.
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A Profound Commitment
Al-Amyn Sumar, counsel at the New York Times, describes the DEI challenges still facing the legal industry and how Davis Wright has demonstrated a shared dedication to the values that drive his company.
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The Tools We Need
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Claude Goetz, partner on our financial services team, discusses how Citi, a company with a strong and comprehensive DEI ethos, has partnered with Davis Wright to advance our respective DEI goals.
A Brain Trust
Christina Chan, a partner in the Seattle office and member of the firm’s DEI Client Engagement Committee, talks about the way the committee is working to advance DEI in collaboration with some of the firm’s largest clients.
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An Opportunity to Make Meaningful Change How We Can Do Business Differently
Davis Wright’s director of client service and strategic communication, Sean Gibson, describes how the firm and its clients have become increasingly aligned on DEI.
Amy Flint, senior DEI engagement manager at Davis Wright, discusses how investment in DEI has grown exponentially at the firm and is serving as an important connection point and conversation channel with clients.
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DEI@DWT Client Summit
Our DEI Client Engagement Committee hosted our first regional DEI@DWT Client Summits in Seattle and New York. Approximately 60 people from DWT and our invited clients attended across both summits.
We hosted intimate, candid conversations around supporting DEI initiatives in the legal profession – creating more pipelines for those from nontraditional backgrounds, investing in women entrepreneurs of color in the FinTech space, and addressing mental health services and burnout for attorneys of color. Featured speakers included Judge David Keenan from King County; Maya Nijhawan, co-founder and COO of Finch; and Tanya MartinezGallinucci, Executive Director for the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the NYC Bar Association.
With this summit that sits within our Engagement pillar, we worked to deepen our client relationships and commitment to DEI within the legal profession and beyond.
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Seattle New York REGIONAL
Firm Recognition (2022)
AmLaw 2022 Diversity Scorecard – Ranked #33
Bloomberg Law – DEI Framework
Citi – Law Firm Diversity Champion Award
Disability Equity Index – Top Scoring Companies
Diversity & Flexibility Alliance – Tipping the Scales Award
Diversity Lab – Inclusion Blueprint Champions
Diversity Lab – Mansfield 5.0 Certification & Certification Plus
Human Rights Campaign – Perfect Score, Corporate Equality Index
Law360 – Glass Ceiling Report - Women in Law #5 (600+ size firm)
Leadership Council for Legal Diversity – 2022 Compass Award
Los Angeles Business Journal – DE&I Company of the Year (Mid-Size)
Minority Corporate Counsel Association – Thomas L. Sager Award – Finalist
Seramount – 50 Best Law Firms for Women
Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) – Gold Standard Award
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Office of DEI and Diversity Executive Council (DEC)
OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION DIVERSITY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Yusuf Zakir, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer (he/him)
Tiffani Lambie, Director of DEI Operations (she/her)
Amy Flint, Senior DEI Engagement Manager (they/she)
Mia Khatcherian, DEI Growth Manager (she/her)
Mariama Suwaneh, DEI Community Manager (she/her)
Patrick Stanton, DEI Specialist (he/him)
Lauren Calogero, DEI Coordinator (she/her)
Maya Yamazaki, DEC Chair, Partner
Camilo Echavarria, Los Angeles Partner-in-Charge, Executive Committee Vice Chair
Chip English, Washington, D.C. Partner-in-Charge, CoChair LGBTQ Affinity Group
Wendy Kearns, Partner, TCPS Practice Group Chair, Executive Committee Member
Lynn Loacker, Project W Founder
Scott MacCormack, Managing Partner
Portia Moore, Partner, Co-Chair Black Affinity Group
Tom Burke, Partner, Pro Bono Chair, Sustainability Chair, Executive Committee Member
Kelli Kohout, Chief Administrative Officer
Martinelle Stevenson, Director of Professional
Development and Training
Michael Nguyen, Director of Talent Acquisition and
Recruiting
Rachel James, Director of Human Resources
Tanea Foglia, Director of Practice Management
Yusuf Zakir, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Officer Tiffani Lambie, Director of DEI Operations
Amy Flint, Senior DEI Engagement Manager
Mia Khatcherian, DEI Growth Manager
Mariama Suwaneh, DEI Community Manager
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